


Rags- Minchan/Chanho/Banginho

by cereal_and_sadness



Category: Stray Kids (Band), TWICE (Band)
Genre: M/M, nickelodeon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-06
Updated: 2020-07-06
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:20:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 8,882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25114552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cereal_and_sadness/pseuds/cereal_and_sadness
Summary: not exactly your traditional cinderella story.IMPORTANT NOTE: this story is based on the nickelodeon movie "rags". i do not claim ownership of this plotline. certain plot points have been edited and/or removed for the purpose of this story.all credit for the basis of this story belongs to nickelodeon (please don't sue me)CROSSPOSTED ON WATTPAD @ cereal-and-sadness
Relationships: Bang Chan & Lee Minho | Lee Know, Hirai Momo & Yoo Jeongyeon, Kim Seungmin/Lee Felix
Comments: 1
Kudos: 17





	1. One

This isn’t one of your typical Cinderella stories. There are no pumpkins, no mice, and no Cinderella – at least, not the one you’re used to. 

Meet Minho. He was young when he lost his mom, leaving him with Hyunsuk, his stepfather, as well as Minho’s stepbrothers. They’re… annoying, to say the least. 

Now Minho’s stuck cleaning the place his mom once owned. But before we let our fairytale play out, you should know Minho has a talent: a real gift for music. This is where Hyunjin comes into the story. Like we’ve already established, this is a fairytale with a twist. And Hyunjin was no fairy godmother, but Minho had a dream, and all he needed was for someone to hear him and open a door. 

Hyunjin first saw Minho performing on a street corner, singing freely with the beat of the drummer who kept him on tempo. Hyunjin dropped a bill into the hat Minho had put in front of himself before his performance. 

“Keep it up, kid,” he praised, “The next time I see you, it had better be on an album cover.” Minho smiled, but began to walk away so he could catch his bus. He thanked the kind stranger who responded with, “Who knows? Maybe one day you’ll be as famous as he is.” He gestured to the promotional banner for star singer Bang Chan plastered across the bus. 

By the time he arrived home, Jeongyeon and Momo were already waiting for him. Jeongyeon passed him a snack across the counter, and Minho gratefully accepted it. “Jeong,” he said with a mouth full of food, “If it wasn’t for Momo, I’d propose to you right now.” 

The younger woman scoffed. “Go for it; maybe then she’d stop bugging me for a bigger ring.” This earned Momo a smack on the back of the head from her wife. 

“She brings home all this stuff she finds in the street,” Jeongyeon griped, “And most of it is useless junk. How about you find me a ring in the street, huh?” 

“Or some customers,” Minho cut in. 

  
  



	2. Two

Minho sang at the mop and dramatically tilted it as if it were a microphone stand.  _ “I follow my dreams. You’d think they were nightmares the way they scream. I’ll make them believe… someday, someday, I’m gonna be the next big thing.” _ He danced around as he continued to set up, arranging tables and chairs and sweeping the stage they faced. 

“Who do you think you are?” Minho spun around and found himself face to face with Hyunsuk. “I don’t pay you to waste time.”

Minho held the handle of the broom tighter. “Actually, you don’t pay me at all,” he said. 

“Are you sassing me, Minho?” Hyunsuk asked, shouting in the boy’s face. 

“No,” Minho automatically responded. “My mom used to let me sing whenever I–”

Hyunsuk cut his stepson off. “Your mom not only left me in charge of you, but also of this dump, which I now have to run.” He straightened his shirt and took a step back, adding, “It’s time to open. Let’s go.” 

Suddenly a woman walked in. “Sorry, are you guys open yet?” She lingered near the doorway, ready to be sent away. 

“Not quite,” Hyunsuk answered, “But we have a special treat for you!” He spun around and pointed at the stage. “Minho, why don’t you introduce the opening act?” 

He had to fight to not roll his eyes. “Ladies and gentlemen,” he flatly announced, “Please give it up for Jisung and Felix.” 

A harsh whisper was heard from behind the curtain. “Jilix!” Jisung glared. 

“See, when you combine Jisung and Felix, you get Jilix,” Felix giggled. 

“I hate you so much, Felix,” Jisung said. 

The pair ran out onstage and Minho hit play on their instrumental track. Felix and Jisung began dancing and singing along with the track for their sole audience member, as well as their father. “My boys,” Hyunsuk whispered, “We’re submitting a song for the JYP Entertainment talent search contest. Search over– am I right, or am I right?” 

The woman in the audience smiled as they finished their performance with Felix accidentally banging his forehead against the microphone and falling to the floor. She shouted, “Do you guys take requests?”

  
  



	3. Three

Hyunsuk dragged a white glove-laden finger across the countertop, inspecting its cleanliness. When the glove was just as pristine as before, he nodded approvingly. 

“So am I free to go?” Minho asked. 

“Yes.” Minho turned to leave, but Hyunsuk spoke again. “Free to go drop off Jilix’s CD to JYP Entertainment for their talent search.” 

Minho hesitated. “Jilix has a CD?” 

His stepfather nodded. “Are you jealous, Minho? You should be.” He snickered and spat, “But don’t worry; when Jilix is #1 you can clean their dressing room.” 

“That’s a relief,” Minho sassed, “For a second there I thought you were gonna say something really mean.” He sprinted out, grateful to be out and about. The boy smiled as he walked, enjoying the spring breeze. He was completely oblivious to the dog sprinting at him or its owner frantically gathering the pages he had dropped when the dog ran. 

Once Minho calmed the dog down, he helped the other man collect his scattered pages. He leaned down to pick one up and hit his head against the blonde who he was helping. “Sorry,” they both said, groaning in pain. Minho stood up and fished a page from the fountain beside him, gazing at the smeared ink across it. 

“Hey, do you mind?” The stranger called out, reaching for the page. “That’s private.” 

Minho suddenly became aware of the sounds of camera shutters and their flash all around him as he heard people shouting, “Bang Chan! Chan! Look here!” 

“You’re Bang Chan,” Minho muttered in disbelief, “You’re Bang Chan. Like, the Bang Chan, Bang Chan?” 

The frazzled blonde finally asked for what he’d wanted the whole time: the page of the notebook that Minho was still tenderly holding. Once he had the page, he quickly walked away, grabbing his dog’s leash as he did so. 

From behind him, he heard a now familiar voice call out, “Sorry again! I like your dog!” 

  
  



	4. Four

Minho dropped the CD into the collection box next to the receptionist and remained there for a moment. The woman at the front desk asked her caller to hold so she could tell Minho, “Applications for our part-time janitor job are here,” as she pointed at a clipboard. 

He considered it for a moment and decided to just fill out an application. As he was doing so, someone walked up behind him. 

“Hey, wasn’t I supposed to see you on an album cover?” Hyunjin mused. 

Minho spun around and smiled. “Wait, do you work here?” 

Hyunjin nodded and chuckled slightly. “Studio engineer,” he informed the boy. 

They continued casual conversation as Minho completed his application. He and Hyunjin formally introduced themselves to each other as Minho passed his completed application to the receptionist. 

“Hey, don’t work too hard,” Hyunjin shouted after the boy, who only laughed. 

“Man, I always work too hard!” 

Once Minho was out of sight, Hyunjin approached the receptionist. “Do me a favour, would you?” He leaned over the ledge on the desk and elaborated, “Make sure he gets hired.” 

The receptionist nodded feverishly, twirling her hair. “Will you go on a date with me?” 

“No.” 

Her shoulders slumped, but she plastered her smile back on. “I’ll still do it.” 

Minho pulled his backpack over his shoulder as he stepped onto the subway platform and made his way to the stairs, already on track for his favourite place to visit: Sungjin’s pawn shop. He stepped inside and stared at the grand piano that sat in the centre of the store. He set his bag down next to it and played a few chords on the piano before he was interrupted by a voice telling him, “No touching the merchandise.” Minho looked up and smiled at Sungjin. “You here to make another payment?” The shop owner asked. Minho nodded and made his way to the counter. He dug through his pockets and handed Sungjin a few crumpled up bills and a handful of coins. Sungjin counted it and sighed. “$9.57? At this rate, your mom’s piano will be yours in… nine years.” 

With another huff, Minho spun on his heel and returned to the piano, playing an upbeat melody. He sang along, describing Sungjin’s pawn shop and how much fun he always had there. Once the song ended, Minho left, returning to the subway so he could get home. 

  
  



	5. Five

Saying Minho worked for JYP Entertainment, and that he worked with Park Jinyoung himself, wouldn’t technically be a lie. He did work at the JYP building, cleaning, and that did include the producer’s office. 

As he dusted his boss’ shelves, Minho noticed the picture frames neatly arranged containing photos of Chan with his father, as well as JYP with other friends and family. He picked up a photo where Chan smiled brightly, and he stared at it for a moment in awe. 

The door opened, and Minho spun to face the guest, hiding the photo behind his back. 

He met Bang Chan’s eyes and felt the harsh glare of the two boys beside him. Chan scowled and asked, “What are you doing here?”

“Uh, I work here.” Minho flashed his ID badge and Chan stepped closer to get a better look at the ID card. 

He held the edge of it and looked up. “So what do you have behind your back, Minho?” 

“N-nothing,” the younger forced out. 

Chan narrowed his eyes. “You’re not a good liar,” he stated, tossing Minho’s ID back to him. The boy caught it with one hand, keeping the other behind his back. 

He frowned. “I am too a good liar,” he defended, “I’ve lied successfully on many occasions. Uh– in fact, just yesterday, I…” he trailed off, unsure of what to say. Chan’s friends stared knowingly at Minho, barely holding back their laughter. “Okay, so I’m not a very good liar,” Minho finally admitted, “I lied.”

“See? You are a liar.” Chan lunged forward to grab whatever Minho had concealed behind his back, but the younger dodged his reach. 

Suddenly a man wearing too much eyeliner walked in. “Hello, my darling, my love,” he called out. Surprised, Minho fell backward, knocking several photo frames to the floor, including the one in his hand. The stranger scoffed, “Who’s this guy?” 

“Minho.” The boy extended a hand and was ignored. 

Eyeliner guy, who Minho recognised from magazine covers as Bang Chan’s boyfriend Seo Changbin, looked the boy up and down. “So,” he began, “Are you signed to JYP Entertainment as well?” 

Awkwardly, Minho lowered his hand, realising he’d never get a handshake. “I’m the janitor,” he stated bluntly. 

“That’s kind of a lame stage name,” Changbin noted, “I mean, I’d go with something else, like… I don’t know, but ‘The Janitor’? It might work. So what, are you like a rapper or something?” 

Once more, Minho flashed his ID badge. “I’m just… the actual janitor.” 

Changbin frowned, and Minho stumbled out in a panic, desperate to escape the awkward situation he’d gotten himself into. “Well,” Changbin hummed, “It’s time for Bang Chan’s publicity lunch event! Come on, photographers await.” He walked out, leaving his boyfriend behind with his two friends. 

Chan knelt down and picked up one of the frames Minho dropped. He gazed happily at the photo of him and his father. Lost in a daze, he hardly heard Seungmin call his name. 

“Right.” He stood up, brushing himself off. “I guess I’m off for a wonderful evening with my ‘boyfriend’.” He made air quotes with his fingers as he said the last word. 

Seungmin rolled his eyes. “Come on, Chan. He’s Seo Changbin,” Seungmin scolded, “Most people would kill to be set up with him.” Chan nodded, aware that his friend was right but still unhappy with the fact. “You should be ‘happy’,” he added, mimicking Chan’s air quotes from before. 

“Okay, why do you guys keep doing that thing with your fingers?” Jeongin whined. “I’ve told you, it ‘confuses me’, and it ‘frightens me’, and it makes me want to ‘punch you both’!” He did the same hand gesture, increasing in intensity each time. 

The eldest of the three rolled his eyes and forced a smile. “How’s this for my ‘ _ I’m so happy I’m in a relationship because my dad thinks it’ll sell more records _ ’ face?” Jeongin and Seungmin both nodded, leading their friend out into the hallway where his boyfriend waited. 

“Hey, if you’re gonna be late, call,” Minho joked as Chan walked past, “You know how I worry.” Chan tried not to let Minho see his smile as he walked faster with his dog Berry happily trotting alongside him. 

As Minho walked home, a newspaper stand caught his eye. On the cover of one of the magazines, Chan and Changbin held each other close. Minho frowned, knowing that the pair were definitely together right now at Chan’s photoshoot. He checked his watch and realised he had no time for pining; he was late. 

He approached the front door and saw Hyunsuk through the window. He needed another way in. He ran around the back of the building, climbing through the window leading into the men’s bathroom. He underestimated the distance from the window to the floor and fell very ungracefully on his face. At least he had made curfew. 

  
  



	6. Six

“Hey, Minho!”

Minho looked up and saw Chan walking towards him. He stood and smiled, asking, “How’s your dog?” 

Chan chuckled. “She misses you.” 

The younger boy placed a hand over his heart and said, “I miss her, too. Chan, I think I’m falling for your dog.” He leaned back, resting his elbow on the cart he had been crouched next to when Chan arrived. He had forgotten about the cart’s wheels, however, and once more hit the floor as cleaning supplies went skittering across the tile in the lobby. He stood and nervously stammered, “Somebody will clean that up.” 

“Who,” Chan teased, “Somebody like the janitor?” He patted Minho’s shoulder. 

“Oh, hey, that’s me!” Minho shook his head, embarrassed. “I should probably get started on that.” 

Later that day, Minho was polishing the windows of the recording booths. He stared longingly at the soundboard, in awe of the music he knew was produced here. His gaze wandered into the room next to the engineer’s booth, where a variety of instruments and microphones sat ready to be used and recorded. The door was unlocked, he knew, and he let himself in. “Sweet,” he whispered as he wandered around. 

He tapped on the microphone in the centre of the room, announcing, “Testing, one, two, three.” Unbeknownst to him, he had been heard. Hyunjin, who had fallen asleep on the couch in his studio, startled awake at the sound. Hyunjin scrambled toward the soundboard and grabbed the mic that would allow him to speak to whoever was in the studio. 

But then Minho started singing. Hyunjin decided to remain silent and simply press record. Minho finished singing the first verse of his song and bowed to the empty room, thanking the instruments who had been kind enough to bear witness to his solo performance. Over the speakers, Minho’s own voice played back to him. Hyunjin had layered a drum track over it, and Minho looked around in awe, locking eyes with Hyunjin who stood in the doorway. 

“Hyunjin!” Minho jumped, surprised that he wasn’t actually alone. “I’m sorry, I was just messing around.” 

The engineer raised an eyebrow. “‘Messing around’?” He grabbed a set of headphones and adjusted the mic stand, asking, “How would you like to try that for real?” 

As grateful as Minho was, he believed the opportunity too good to be true. “For real? No, you gotta be kidding,” he responded, “I’m just the kid with rags and mops.”

Hyunjin stared at him incredulously. “Dude, you are way more than ‘just a kid with rags’,” he insisted, “What I heard in there was a real artist. And a real artist needs a demo. Minho, I can help you make that happen.” He passed the headset to Minho and walked back into the sound booth. “Don’t say anything,” he instructed, “Just sing.” 

Minho gladly did as he was told, dancing as he belted out his songs. 

A few days later, Minho had a CD in the works that he’d get in a few weeks. He announced his good news to Momo and Jeongyeon, earning cheers and praise from both of them. Later that same day, his stepfather and stepbrothers sat huddled around an envelope in regards to a different CD. 

“Boys,” Hyunsuk announced, “This is your ticket to the big time.” He tore into the envelope, pulling out the letter and reading it out loud. “‘Thank you for sending your demo material to JYP Entertainment for consideration. Presently, your demo package is one of a quantity of exemplary material that was submitted to our offices. We regret to inform you you did not qualify for the JYP Entertainment talent contest’.” 

Jisung glared at his brother. “This is your fault.” 

  
  



	7. Seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hhh this is probably my favorite chapter in this book

Minho approached Sungjin’s pawn shop with a bounce in his step and a smile on his face. He walked up to the counter and placed a wad of cash in front of Sungjin. 

“What’d you do, kid?” The shop owner asked, “Sell a body part?” 

Still beaming, Minho responded, “I got a job.” 

Sungjin tapped on his calculator for a moment before turning to face the boy. “You keep up payments like these, and that piano will be yours in five years, tops.” 

Minho sat down on the piano bench and asked Sungjin if he had any requests. The man asked to hear ‘Perfect Harmony’. Minho smirked and said, “For a hundred dollars…” He laughed at his own joke when Sungjin scowled at him. He shook his head and said, “Okay, here’s ‘Perfect Harmony’ for my man Sungjin.” He began playing the happy, airy tune but froze when he heard someone speak from the shop’s entrance. 

“Not bad for a janitor,” Chan called out. 

“Thanks, I was just messing around.” Minho looked at his hands, which still rested lightly on the keys. “Wait,” he asked, “Why are you here, anyway? Did you follow me here?” 

Chan rolled his eyes. “Follow you? No.” He looked around and added, “I was just looking for some creepy stuff for my room.” When he saw a smug smile on Minho’s face, he turned the conversation around. “What are you doing here? You come to some pawn shop to play a ratty old piano? What’s that about?” He forced a laugh. 

Minho shrugged. “It’s my mom’s,” he explained. 

Chan cleared his throat, suddenly embarrassed. “Ahem. And more gorgeous it could not be.” His tone was forced, but he really was trying to be nice. He took a seat next to Minho on the piano bench. 

“I should say it was my mom’s,” Minho corrected himself. “Once upon a time.” 

Realisation washed over Chan’s features. “So your mom’s gone?”

Minho nodded. “Yeah. My stepdad used the piano money to buy a karaoke machine.” 

“I’m sorry, Minho,” Chan whispered. Minho played a few ugly, dissonant chords to make Chan laugh. The elder politely pulled Minho’s hands away from the keys. “Why don’t you let a professional handle this?” He played only for a few seconds before admitting, “My mom died, too.” 

Minho looked up, “I’m sorry, I didn’t know.” 

Chan tried to lighten the mood. “How could you? I don’t wear the ‘my mom died’ t-shirt much these days,” he joked. 

Minho caught on quickly and joked back, “You have one, too?” 

“It’s good to talk to somebody who understands,” Chan stated. 

Without another word, Minho resumed playing his song request. Chan knew the song and sang along as Minho played. “ _ I can see me and you being best friends, the kind of friends who finish each other’s sentences _ ,” he sang. Minho joined him in singing once the chorus began, and they both smiled brightly once the song ended. 

“That was fun,” Minho whispered. “Hey, what were you playing earlier?” 

Chan shrugged. “Uh, it was just a little bit of a song I wrote.” 

Minho’s eyes widened. “So those were your songs that got all wet the other day?” 

The elder reached into his bag and pulled out a familiar notebook. “Don’t worry,” he said, “They stayed all in one piece.” He flipped through the pages as proof. Minho’s eyes settled on a page and he extended a hand. 

“Can I?” 

Chan handed the page over and watched as Minho’s eyes scanned the lyrics written on it. “These lyrics are great,” he breathed, “Why haven’t I heard you sing songs like this?” 

“Yeah, right,” Chan scoffed, “My dad would go nuts. They don’t exactly fit the Bang Chan brand. But maybe someday I will.” 

Minho stood up, still holding Chan’s lyrics. “No way,” he announced, “You’re doing it today. You need to. I want to take you somewhere… do you trust me?” 

Chan made his way to Minho’s side. “I trust you.” 

As they reached the doorway, Sungjin ran up and stopped them. “Mr. Bang?” Chan turned around. Sungjin held out a page and a pen. “For my kid?” When Chan began to write, Sungjin asked, “Can you make it out to Sungjin? For my kid… named Sungjin?” Minho snorted as Chan passed the page back and then led Chan outside. He placed his hat on Chan’s head and led him toward the subway. 

Eventually, they ended up sitting together on a bench in the shade beneath a large tree. “This is the spot,” Minho said, setting an empty cup on the ground. “It’s perfect.” He took a pair of sunglasses from his pocket and perched them on the bridge of Chan’s nose. “And no one will even know it’s you.” 

“Minho, no! I can’t do it.” 

Minho couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “70,000 screaming fans, you’re good to go,” he lectured, “But eight tourists, and you have a problem?” 

Chan knew he was right. So he took a deep breath and pushed his fear aside, beginning to sing, timidly at first and growing more confident as he sang. 

_ “Look, look at me now. I’m starting to be stronger, there’s no time to stop now. Oh, I’m touching the clouds. I’m flying high and higher, I’m not trying to come down. Can you look at me now? Can you look at me now?” _ By now, a crowd had gathered, and people were dancing along with Chan, all enjoying themselves. But as they finished the second chorus, a voice shouted over the crowd. 

A cop pushed people aside and approached Chan and Minho. “Move on or I’ll give you a ticket,” she shouted. The crowd groaned, but Minho wasn’t going to risk it. 

He picked up the cup, which people had been dropping money into as the performance went on, and passed it to Chan. With a smile, Chan approached a man he had seen panhandling on the corner. “Here you go,” he said, passing the cup to the stranger. 

“Hey, you’re good,” the man praised, “You should do this for a living, the whole…” he imitated Chan’s dance and smiled. Chan thanked him and left with Minho. 

Minho had to run to catch the bus as he had just missed it. He managed to get the driver to stop, and he waited for Chan to catch up. They stood together in the crowded bus, still giddy from the performance. 

“I can’t believe I just did that,” Chan whispered. 

Minho smiled. “You were amazing.” 

“I haven’t felt so good performing in a long time,” he continued, “Thank you, Minho. Let me pay you back somehow.” When Minho began to protest, Chan interrupted him and passed him a slip of paper. “Here, I want you to come to this party my dad is throwing. It’s gonna be awesome, except I’ll be working and have to miss out on all the fun.” 

The bus swung a sharp turn and Minho grabbed Chan by the waist, preventing him from falling. They were close now, their faces only inches from each other, and neither of them could tear their eyes away from each other. At least, not until an old lady began shouting. “Wait! Are you Bang Chan?” At the name, the whole bus turned to look. “Can I have your autograph?” The woman asked. Chan politely did as he was asked, but he was visibly uncomfortable as now most of the bus had their phones out to take photos of him. 

  
  



	8. Eight

Minho snuck back in through the bathroom window again, hitting the ground equally as clumsily as before. He looked up and saw Hyunsuk with Felix and Jisung behind him. 

“I have 52 seconds until midnight,” Minho stated, checking his watch. “So if you’ll excuse me…” He pushed past Hyunsuk and his stepbrothers with them hot on his heels. 

Hyunsuk snatched a reflective sheet from Minho’s pocket. “What’s this?” He read it in disbelief. “Invitation to JYP Entertainment’s masquerade ball?” 

Jisung piped up, “That’s when they announce the winners to the talent search.” 

“Minho, did you steal this?”

“No, I didn’t steal it,” Minho replied nonchalantly, “Bang Chan gave it to me.” 

Felix squealed. “Bang Chan? That’s so cool!” His brother and father turned to face him, making it clear that they hadn’t believed Minho. 

“Just give it back.” Minho reached for the invitation but Hyunsuk pulled it away fast. 

He clutched the invitation close to his chest. “Sorry, Minho,” he said, “But I can’t let this go to waste.” He turned toward his sons. “Boys, your stepbrother has given you the opportunity of a lifetime. You are gonna go to that party and you’re gonna show Park Jinyoung that he made a big mistake rejecting your CD.” 

Minho was pissed. “That’s my invitation!” 

“No, Minho, this is an opportunity for you, too,” Hyunsuk whispered, “You can stay behind and I’ll let you run the karaoke machine. Consider it a promotion.” He smacked Minho’s shoulder. Minho ran upstairs, growing increasingly upset. 

Momo and Jeongyeon made eye contact, having heard the whole conversation from around the corner. 

Jeongyeon whisper-yelled, “Momo, get me my sewing machine!” 

“You mean the sewing machine I found in the street that you didn’t want?” 

The elder rolled her eyes. “Yes. Finally one of your pieces of junk is gonna be of some use.” She clapped and grabbed the bicycle Momo was working on, pulling it away. “Babe, stop messing with the garbage. We gotta get Minho into that party.” 

Later that night once Hyunsuk went to bed, Jeongyeon crept into the main room and climbed onto the stage. She yanked down the silver curtain and carried it off. She smiled at her sleeping wife as she began to cut and sew the curtain to make a suit for Minho. 

The next day, Momo was waiting for Minho at the bottom of the stairs. “Are you done with your chores?” She could hardly keep still, she was so excited. 

“You’re smiling,” Minho observed, “Nobody smiles about chores.” 

Jeongyeon ran out, holding the suit on a hanger. “Ta-da! For you,” she announced as she flung the clothing into Minho’s arms. 

“To work the karaoke machine?” 

The two women made eye contact and chuckled. “No,” Jeongyeon clarified, “For the JYP Entertainment party!” 

Minho frowned. “Hyunsuk gave my invitation to Jilix,” he reminded. 

Momo said, “You’re gonna let a small detail like an invitation stop you?” 

“No,” Minho sang. “I’m gonna let about a billion other things stop me.” He listed off a few of the reasons. “Hyunsuk would destroy me if he found out I went. I have school tomorrow. There’s tons of security – maybe even an x-ray.”

Jeongyeon waved a hand in his face. “Silence.” She pushed the suit at Minho once more and added, “You’re welcome.” 

“Thank you,” Minho finally said. “It’s awesome. But who’s gonna run karaoke if I’m not here?” Jeongyeon and Momo both pointed at Momo, who was still grinning like an idiot. 

“I’ve always wanted to do it,” she admitted, “And I know I can do a great job, too.”

Minho hesitated. “But what if I see Hyunsuk at the party?” 

Jeongyeon reached toward the table beside her as Momo said, “We thought of that. You may see Hyunsuk…” she placed the mask over Minho’s face. “But he’ll never see you.” Suddenly Minho couldn’t wait for tonight. 

“Have a nice pity party,” Jisung spat as they walked past Minho. 

Felix stopped. “Whoa, you’re having a party?” 

Jisung snorted. “I was making fun of him, idiot,” he deadpanned. 

The younger twin sighed and turned to wave at Minho. “I… gotta go.” He quietly told Minho, “I’ll bring you some cake.” He then ran to catch up with his dad and brother. 

As soon as Minho saw them leave, he sprinted upstairs to get dressed in the suit Jeongyeon had made for him. She and Momo helped him get ready. “How am I gonna get home before Hyunsuk?” Minho asked, reality setting in. 

“It’ll be easy. You’re gonna take the fastest transportation there is in this city,” she said as she pointed toward the doorway where Momo brought out the bicycle she had finally fixed. They ensured Minho had his mask and linked their hands together as they watched him pedal away as fast as he could. 

Jeongyeon leaned her head on her wife’s shoulder. “Do you think he’ll get in?” 

“Not a chance.” 

  
  



	9. Nine

Minho weaved between cars on his bike, narrowly dodging pedestrians and being almost run over on multiple occasions. Once he finally arrived at the party, he tried to get past security quickly but was stopped. The bouncer asked for his invitation and Minho panicked. 

He pointed at the man who walked in just before him and said, “That guy stole my ticket.” As he rambled on telling the story, the bouncer stopped him and told him to wait. He followed the man inside and Minho took this as his opportunity to sneak in. He passed a table covered in accessories for guests to use and picked up a silver hat that matched his suit. 

As he pushed through the crowd, Minho crashed into someone. He looked up and was met with the scornful eyes of his stepfather, who rudely blamed Minho for their crash, and Minho walked away as fast as he could, grateful to have not been discovered. 

On the dance floor, Changbin held Chan’s hand tightly. “Are you ready to dance with your king?” 

Chan smiled and responded, “No, I’m ready to dance with you.” 

Minho watched the pair from a few feet away in the crowd, unsure of how to get Chan’s attention. He saw his opportunity as people began dancing. Felix approached Chan’s friends and offered his hand to Seungmin, inviting him to dance. Jeongin tried to prevent Seungmin from going, as he already didn’t like Felix, but Seungmin gladly went anyway. The part of the song where dancers were expected to switch partners arrived, and Chan found himself alone. Minho noticed and ran out onto the dance floor, taking Chan’s hand. 

They made quiet conversation as they danced. With his face and hair covered, Minho was nearly unidentifiable, and Chan still had yet to realise who he was dancing with. 

“Are you having fun tonight?” Minho asked. 

Chan hesitated. “If I’m being honest, not really.” He and Minho continued to dance together for a minute before he spoke again. “I guess now I am. But I just have a hard time...” 

“Relaxing and being yourself?” Minho finished the sentence for him. 

“How did you know that?” 

Minho pulled Chan closer as they danced. “I see you,” he vaguely stated. “You’re amazing. It’s true. You’re too amazing to be anything less than yourself. Just be you.” And with that, he disappeared into the crowd, leaving Chan baffled. 

He didn’t have much time to think before he heard a voice announce that it was time to reveal the winner of the talent contest and watch them perform. The crowd cheered as the host opened an envelope but was cut off before he could speak by someone whispering in his ear. “Well, it’s AB6IX,” he revealed, “But I’ve just been informed that their plane has been delayed, and AB6IX will not be with us tonight.” 

The crowd expressed their disappointment, and JYP yelled in frustration. 

“Boss is upset,” the host said, “Somebody better get him a runner-up.” 

Minho ran up to the sound booth and was immediately met with Hyunjin telling him, “This area is off-limits.” When Minho revealed who it was, Hyunjin relaxed. He pulled a CD from his pocket and handed it to Minho. It was labelled “Rags”. Hyunjin explained, “Everyone needs a stage name. I figured when you’re famous, you’ll need to remember where you came from. You know, so the millions of fans don’t go to your head.” 

“This is the nicest thing anyone’s ever done for me,” Minho confessed. 

Before their conversation could continue, two new voices came over the loudspeakers. 

“I’m Jisung.” 

“I’m Felix.” 

“We’re Jilix.” 

Minho cringed at the sight of his stepbrothers onstage. Hyunjin saw Minho’s reaction and asked who the performers were. “You know these guys?” 

“Unfortunately, yes.” Minho sighed again. “Those clowns are sort of my stepbrothers.” 

Hyunjin shut off the microphone remotely when the crowd began to boo. “This is your chance,” he told Minho, “Get up there.” Minho tried to protest, and Hyunjin’s best reassurance was, “If you’re terrible, nobody will know it’s you. Now go.” 

Minho nodded and gathered his courage as he walked out onstage. 

  
  



	10. Ten

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Hyunjin said from the booth, “Give it up for ‘Rags’.” 

Minho was nervous, but this was his shot. So he took it. “ _ You’re looking at me, tell me what you see. _ ” He met Chan’s eyes. “ _ You should know we’re not so different at all. I see you on the big screen, you see me chasing my dreams. We’re kind of doing the same thing. We’re not so different, are we? _ ” The crowd clapped along with the beat, and Minho grew more confident. He danced a bit and stood on an amp for his last chorus. 

His whole suit shone under the lights, as well as his silver shoes, which he had marked with his initials as he did with all of his shoes. Felix took off his mask, not sure if his eyes were deceiving him. He whispered, “Minho…?” and smiled, clapping along enthusiastically with Minho’s song. The song finished and Minho looked out into the crowd and saw Hyunsuk dragging Felix and Jisung out. Felix was whining because he wanted to stay and talk with Seungmin, but he had no choice but to leave. 

Minho ran offstage, desperately trying to get home. Chan chased after him. “Wait!” Minho froze and looked back. “Who are you?” Chan asked. 

Impulsively, Minho ran up to Chan and took his face in both hands, kissing him gently. He pulled away and whispered, “Be you.” And then he was gone. 

But he was in such a rush that he hadn’t noticed when his demo CD fell from his coat pocket and clattered to the ground at Chan’s feet. 

Minho sped home as fast as he could. His normal way in, the bathroom window, was suddenly bolted shut. He began to panic and search for another way. He slammed his hands against the window a few feet away and heard Jeongyeon scream, “I told you, I’m married!” Minho shouted that it was him, and Jeongyeon opened the small window. 

“Keep Hyunsuk distracted,” Minho begged. Jeongyeon nodded and shouted for her wife, enlisting her help in saving Minho. 

Minho looked up toward his window, knowing he couldn’t get up there easily. There was no staircase, no ladder, no fire escape. But there was a drainpipe bolted to the brick, and Minho knew his only choice was to climb it. 

Meanwhile, Momo had planned to wait by the entrance juggling lemons and asking Hyunsuk as many stupid questions as she could think of. Jeongyeon was the second line of defence, with lots of talking and Hyunsuk’s favourite foods ready for him. The women knew how much Minho needed this, and they were willing to do whatever it took for him to be happy. Unfortunately, Hyunsuk’s hatred for Minho was just as strong as Jeongyeon and Momo’s love for him. He pushed past them with great difficulty. 

Minho saw Momo blocking Hyunsuk’s way as he passed the window on the stairs. The pipe creaked and began to bow, leaning away from the wall. Minho just barely managed to catch the ledge of his window and pull himself up, leaping into bed and removing his suit coat and dress shirt. Beneath it he had worn a white t-shirt, and he concealed the silver pants by covering his legs with his blanket. He sat in bed holding a comic book open to a random page when Hyunsuk burst into his room. 

“I didn’t hear you knock.” Minho watched Hyunsuk look around suspiciously before walking out without another word. 

Once Hyunsuk was gone, Minho patted his pockets, suddenly aware that he could no longer feel the weight of his CD. 

“That’s not good.” 

  
  



	11. Eleven

Minho picked up the dishes left by the diners who had just left as he listened to the man onstage performing a terrible rendition of one of Chan’s songs. 

“Hey, you,” a sweet voice said behind him. 

He spun around and saw Chan. “Hey, Chan, what are you doing here?” 

“Where were you last night?” 

Minho faked a cough. “Caught a cold,” he lied. “Stayed home, watched a movie.” He panicked when Chan asked what movie. “Uh, I can’t remember the name. Park Seo Joon was in it, though. Cried my eyes out.” 

Chan smirked. “You were right when you said you weren’t a good liar. Anyway, you totally missed out.” 

“I know,” Minho whined, “I wanted to see you sing.” 

“No, not me!” Chan spoke excitedly, “This Rags guy performed. He killed it. The dude can really sing. And he’s not bad at kissing, either.” 

Minho feigned shock. “He kissed you?” 

“Just laid one on me,” Chan recalled, “No time to react. I mean, really, there was nothing I could do.” 

“Right, right,” Minho said, laughing at how much Chan obviously liked it. “So why’d you come here today?” 

Chan beamed. “I was hoping you’d be able to help me. Rags left a CD. No contact info, no nothing,” he explained, “But what it did have was a track of the song he performed last night and this.” He grabbed his phone and passed one earbud to Minho across the table. 

_ “I follow my dreams. You’d think they were nightmares the way they scream.” _

Minho chuckled. “This song is great.” 

Chan nodded and said, “That song ‘Someday’ is gonna lead me straight to Rags.” 

“Wait, why do you want to find him?” 

The elder sighed dreamily. “Minho, you should have seen him. He sings songs that mean something. It was really inspiring.” He put one earbud in as he spoke and picked a song. Minho looked at the floor, gathering the courage to tell Chan. 

He stared at the floor as he told Chan that he needed to tell him something. He struggled, but finally managed to confess, “I’m Rags.” But by the time he had forced the words out, Chan had both earbuds in and hadn’t caught a word of what Minho said. 

“You’ve gotta help me find this guy,” Chan pleaded, finally taking out the earbuds. “You know, sometimes it feels like the whole world wants a piece of Bang Chan. But not you, Minho. Please, help me find Rags.” 

Minho could never resist that smile. “How do you plan on finding him?” He asked. 

“That song,” Chan clarified. “You and I are the only two who have heard it. We’ll hold an audition. Whoever sings ‘Someday’ is the real Rags. Are you in or out?” 

“In.” 

  
  



	12. Twelve

Chan got Seungmin and Jeongin to help him promote the audition. It was all over the internet, on talk shows, on social media, and even just circulating among casual conversations. It took a few hours, but Minho finally had some alone time with Chan. He didn’t have many friends, and he wasn’t sure Seungmin and Jeongin liked him. But he felt comfortable with Chan. They sat together on a bench near the river eating their lunch. They were talking and joking back and forth. Chan laughed and hip bumped Minho, who did the same in return. This happened a few more times until Minho accidentally knocked the blonde off the bench. “You’re lucky I like you,” Chan teased as he stood up.

That afternoon, the lobby of the JYP building was a mob scene, hundreds of people insisting that they were Rags. JYP, needless to say, was furious that his son had set this up without permission. Chan was equally furious because his father had refused to listen to Rags’ demo, and he had to search on his own. 

“None of you ever listen,” he declared. 

His father shot back, “Because you’re too busy running around with that kid.” 

“Who, Minho?” Minho had been cleaning in the hallway and unintentionally eavesdropping, but when he heard his name he tuned in completely to what happened next. 

Changbin made a scene, insisting that Chan was only doing it to make him jealous by spending all his time with Minho. 

JYP faced his son. “Is this true?”

“You’re totally right,” Chan sassed, “What was I thinking? Why would Bang Chan, the biggest star in the world, hang out with someone who scrubs the floor I walk on?” His sarcasm was evident to himself and to his father, but Minho was hurt. 

“It’s not like that,” JYP insisted, “We just want you to focus on your music.” 

Minho had heard enough. He walked away but could still hear Chan and his father shouting from down the hall. 

“Everybody keeps telling me how grateful I should be, but how can I be grateful when I’m successful at something my heart’s just not in?” Changbin wrapped his arms around his boyfriend, who immediately shoved him off. “Look, Minho is cooler than everyone in this building combined. And he’s gonna help me find Rags. We’ll prove you wrong.” He walked out, but walked back for a moment to stand in the doorway and continue yelling, only this time at Changbin instead of his dad. “We’re done.” 

Though Minho had heard Chan defend him, he spent the rest of his day feeling dejected. He sat in one of the booths polishing glasses as his stepbrothers practiced their routine onstage. Hyunsuk stepped in to criticise Felix for making so many mistakes. He stormed off, followed by Jisung. 

Felix sat down across from Minho. “Need any help?” He timidly asked. 

“Excuse me?” 

“My dad was yelling at me again,” he mumbled, “Thought you could use some company.” Minho tossed a towel to Felix and slid a stack of glasses across the table. “You know, ever since that Rags guy showed up, he’s been worse than ever.” 

Minho shrugged. “Was Rags really that good?” 

“Oh, yeah,” Felix said, “You would’ve loved him. Plus, you guys, uh, both have the same way of marking up your shoes.” Minho froze and looked up to find Felix smiling at him. “Don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me. And I kind of like how it makes my dad so angry. But, Minho, can I ask you something? Why don’t you just tell Chan?”

Minho sighed, recalling that day’s earlier events. “He’s Bang Chan. He could have anybody.” 

Felix was in disbelief. “Well, what if he wants you?” 

“Trust me, Lix,” Minho began, “No guy is looking for a nobody from a horrible family. He’d want some good-looking famous guy who’d be mean to him. Celebrities are weird like that.” He stared at the glass in his hand until he heard one shatter on the floor. “Felix, what are you doing?!” 

“You never know until you try,” Felix mused. “I’m gonna keep picking up these glasses and dropping them until you tell me you’ll go for this guy! What about the auditions?” 

Minho shook his head and replied, “Obviously Rags won’t be showing up, but that’s just how it’ll have to be.” Felix flung another glass to the floor at the statement, and Hyunsuk marched in, fuming and demanding an explanation. 

“Look at all these broken glasses,” Felix admonished Minho. 

Hyunsuk grumbled, “This is coming out of your pay.” 

“You don’t pay me.” 

“Are you ready to focus and rehearse with your brother?” Hyunsuk asked, turning toward Felix. 

Felix hesitated. “Uh, yeah, I’m just making sure this little punk doesn’t break all our glasses!” Hyunsuk smiled. “I’ll be right there,” Felix said. Once his dad was gone, Felix began apologising profusely to Minho before obediently running off to rehearse. 

  
  



	13. Thirteen

Minho ran up behind Chan and tapped his shoulder. Tonight was audition night. “You excited?” He asked. 

“Nervous,” Chan corrected him. “I don’t know why; I’ve been in front of huge crowds. I guess this time it’s just different.”

The younger smiled. “Well, I have nothing but faith in you.” He put a hand on Chan’s shoulder and added, “Just be you.” 

Chan froze. “What?” 

Suddenly both of their names were called at once, Minho by Jisung and Chan by Seungmin.

“Jisung, what are you doing here?” Minho hissed. 

The boy scoffed. “Auditioning, duh.” 

“You never miss an opportunity, do you?” 

Jisung shrugged. “Dad was looking for you, said it’s important. He’s upstairs.” 

Minho walked out in search of Hyunsuk. He found the man standing in the hallway. “You’re pretty crafty, Minho,” he spat. “You know, sometimes I think I underestimate you.” 

“Thanks… Although most of the time I think you just overestimate yourself.” 

Hyunsuk frowned. “I’m trying to be nice here. Actually, I got something for you. Follow me, I’ll show you.” He gestured toward an open door just down the hall. Minho looked inside and was immediately shoved forward. He hit the ground hard and by the time he had scrambled to his feet the door was shut. Hyunsuk locked the door and laughed. “You think you’re a singer, Minho? How dare you try to steal your brother’s dream? Oh, and by the way, I’m selling this place. They’re gonna turn it into an auto parts store. Maybe they need a janitor.” He turned around and straightened his tie. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to introduce Jisung to the world as Rags.” 

Minho pounded on the door nonstop, wishing someone would hear him. It took nearly fifteen minutes for anyone to acknowledge him. He heard Berry barking and scratching at the door, and Minho hoped and prayed that the dog would go get someone to help. 

He could hear ongoing auditions over the PA system that ran through the whole building. He relaxed a bit when he heard Chan’s voice. 

“Okay,” he said, “Rags seems to be a little shy. Maybe I’ll sing a little of ‘Someday’ and that’ll show you how it’s done.” He took a deep breath and began to sing.  _ “I follow my dreams. You’d think they were nightmares the way they scream. I’ll make them believe…”  _

A second voice joined him as he continued. Minho’s brief moment of calm ended when he recognised Jisung singing. He screamed even louder, hitting the door with his fists. His eyes stung with unshed tears when Jisung rapped the lyrics.  _ Minho’s _ lyrics. 

Finally Minho heard Berry barking again, along with Seungmin and Jeongin expressing their confusion. He continued screaming. “Wait, Minho?” Jeongin asked. Seungmin thought fast, removing a clip from Jeongin’s hair and forcing it into the lock, freeing Minho. Minho hugged the boy and thanked him quickly before sprinting back to where Chan was. 

His heart cracked when he saw Chan onstage with Jisung. Jisung was shaking JYP’s hand. “Ladies and gentlemen, the future of JYP Entertainment,” JYP announced. 

No. He was too late. 

He didn’t even bother saying goodbye to Chan before he ran home, ready to pack his things and run away. As soon as he stepped inside, he saw the whole place decorated. A banner reading “CONGRATULATIONS, JISUNG” hung from the ceiling. 

“They knew,” Minho whispered to himself. 

He heard Hyunsuk’s voice from the entryway and ran. He found his room ransacked with only one thing missing: his song book. He grabbed a suitcase full of clothes and necessities and his ukulele. 

Minho was ready to leave. There was nothing left for him here. He was grabbed by the shoulders on his way out. 

“You can’t leave yet,” Hyunsuk teased, “We haven’t introduced Rags! You didn’t really think you’d win, did you?” Minho shoved past the man without a word.

Chan stepped in front of him and asked where he was going. Minho’s eyes gave enough of an answer even without the suitcase. “You can’t leave,” Chan pleaded. 

“I can’t stay,” Minho muttered in a shaky voice. “I’m sort of done with this place.” 

“Can you do me a favour before you go? Stay while I introduce Rags.” Chan held Minho’s hand and added, “I couldn’t have found him without you.” Minho nodded sadly, staring into Chan’s beautiful eyes. Minho wouldn’t hesitate to stay a few more minutes if it meant Chan would be happy. 

Chan marched onstage and shouted to get everyone’s attention. “Thank you all for being here,” he said, “This has been a pretty wild ride. And what a crazy ending. Who’d have thought we’d actually find our Rags? But we did.” He beamed out at the crowd, and Minho slowly walked away. “I knew Rags was incredibly talented from the minute I heard him sing. I knew his lyrics would inspire others like they inspired me. But what took time to realise was that his friendship was what changed me the most.” Minho stopped dead in his tracks. “So, without further ado, please put your hands together for the  _ real _ Rags, Mr. Lee Minho.”

A chorus of confused shouts littered the room, but Chan didn’t care. “Minho, it’s time to be you.” 

Jisung took the mic from Chan’s hand and let out a fake laugh. “Well, I’m sure we all love a good laugh, but I’m glad to be here–”

Chan snatched the microphone from his hand. “I’m sorry for the confusion. Minho, get your butt up here.”

“How’d you know?” Minho whispered to Chan as he stepped onstage. 

The blonde smirked. “‘Just be you’? How could you think I wouldn’t figure it out?” He took Minho’s hand and said, “It’s your stage, Minho. Take it.” He passed the microphone and stepped offstage, leaving Minho alone. 

He heard the instrumental track of ‘Someday’ playing and sang along, more passionately than he ever had before. When he said the word ‘family’ he pointed at Jeongyeon and Momo, who were holding each other and proudly watching Minho. Chan, who stood in the wings, mouthed the lyrics and smiled as he took in how happy Minho looked. 

Minho stopped in the middle of his song when he made eye contact with Chan. “Wait, wait,” he said, “I’m not the only artist here tonight, folks. As the real Rags it’s my pleasure to give you the real Bang Chan.” He reached his hand out for Chan and whispered, “Sing what you sang for me.” 

“I can’t.” Chan looked so defeated. “My dad has a plan.” 

“No,” JYP firmly stated. “I want to hear your song.” The crowd applauded as Minho gently placed the microphone in Chan’s hand. 

_ “On this day, I’ll finally listen to what’s been calling me. All it takes is letting go of whatever people think of me. This way, I’ll stand out and break away to be free. Happiness is what I can’t live without. It’s time to stand out.” _

The crowd roared, blown away by Chan’s raw talent. As JYP climbed onstage, a hush fell over the whole building. “I hear you loud and clear,” he told his son, “So from now on, you’re in charge of making your own music. Thanks to you all, we found our real Rags– our next big star.” 

People began filtering out slowly until only a few were left. Hyunsuk sighed. “Well, at least we’ve still got this place.” 

“Actually,” Felix cut in, “You don’t.” 

“What are you talking about?” Hyunsuk hissed, getting in his son’s face. 

Felix scoffed. “You know exactly what I’m talking about. I’m done lying for you.” He turned to face Minho. “Your mom didn’t leave this place to my dad, she left it to you. Check the deed.” 

“That is a lie,” Hyunsuk insisted. “Traitor.” 

Momo and Jeongyeon pulled Felix close and stepped in front of him to keep him away from his father. 

“Minho,” Jeongyeon cheered, “You finally got your fairytale ending!” 

Chan took Minho by the hand. “The fairytale isn’t over yet,” he mumbled against Minho’s lips. He pulled the boy in for a kiss and smiled through it, more than grateful that he finally found Minho. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading! hope you enjoyed :)


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